


Knowledge

by Illiteracy_is_for_woozles



Series: Legacy of the Hopeful [1]
Category: Children of Misfortune, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dark Elves, Dark Past, Drow, Gen, Half-Elves, Librarians, Shadow Thieves Guild, Underdark, Wood Elves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 22:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illiteracy_is_for_woozles/pseuds/Illiteracy_is_for_woozles
Summary: Background for Starlingale H'laana, a half-Wood Elf/Drow rogue.





	Knowledge

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning on posting the backgrounds to my characters, as well as their adventures.  
> Please (PLEASE) feel free to send me suggestions or requests. My babies will be in pain, but everything happens for a reason!

Far below the Dead Mountains, miles from the ice and snow, was a thriving society of Drow. And contrary to the legends many tell around campfires at night, these Drow were peaceful and, in fact, a kind community founded upon equality and peace.

 

There was a day when an exploratory party stumbled upon an injured Wood Elf, the half frozen only survivor of a group of Ice Mephits.

The party rescued the Wood Elf, healed her wounds and nursed her back to health, welcoming her into their community.

Eventually, she married a tattoo artist and they made a home and a family together.

 

Some time later, they had a daughter. She was born with eyes as silver-grey as the sky before a snowfall and hair the color of moss. Her name was Starlingale.

 

Starlingale grew in both stature and mind, spending most of her time in the city's library here she found a vocation which she loved at a very young age. (And it doubled as an excuse to avoid people)

 

One dark day, she was replacing some books in the most unused section of the library when there was a commotion.

Before she could see what was causing it, there was an explosion that rocked the mountain and made the shelving crumble from their holds and artifacts shatter on the floor.

Starlingale, hands and knees bloodied from her own fall, heard screams ending abruptly and hid under one of the shelves that lay halfway on another.

The sounds of slaughter echoed through the halls, following a group of people of all different races as they laughed and joked about the murder of “the filthy dark elves.”

 

After hours of hiding, of senses submerged in the iron tang of blood and wails of agony and fear, the young elfling silently crept from her hiding place to see the piles of burnt, shattered, and ripped shells of her friends and loved ones.

Starlingale ran, tripping over detached limbs and fallen pieces of buildings, straight to her family home which had been razed, leaving nothing but ashes. Her mother's artificially lit greenhouse smashed to allow the fire to reach the plants inside.

Starlingale fell to her knees and sobbed, hearing her own heart rip itself into a thousand pieces.

“Hey!”

Starlingale turned toward the voice, tears blurring her vision, to see one tiny sprout waving its little leaves at her. It had been plucked up and cast aside, but the life hadn't been plundered from it.

But... Plants didn't talk... Did they?

Nevertheless, Starlingale rescued the sprout, finding a container to carry it in, and it rescued her in turn, reminding her that she couldn't just give up and that there were still reasons to live.

 

Starlingale and Sydd, the Bonsai tree, left behind the remains of their eradicated city and traveled for weeks. The Dead Mountains earned their name, nearly claiming yet another set of lives to the elements.

After a few weeks of travel, the duo was exhausted and in grave need of shelter and food when they came upon a small village that, according to its sign, was a welcome place to all races. That was a lie.

Starlingale quietly asked a merchant woman for a small hunk of bread and some water but was scant able to get the words out before the human shrieked in fear at her Drow-skin.

The elfling was chased from the village, only escaping by hiding in the trees, still hungry and confused by their insane behavior. All she had known growing up in her city was equality and unity; there had been races from all over that had been rescued and had chosen not to leave. Why would these villagers just attack without reason? _It didn't make sense!_

Sydd patted her hand, silently reminding her that he wasn't alone and that she never would be.

 

They journeyed from village to village, stealing clothing that would better hide her skin whenever they could find a wash-line unattended. (She did try to leave whatever she could as payment)

Eventually, they wound up in Athkatla, a large city with plenty of places to hide and find food and water being wasted. (Or easily stolen)

Late one night, she found a warm, dry place to sleep in the stables of an inn. The straw was soft and there were dry oats and apples by the bucket-full just sitting out for the taking! It was heaven...

Shaken awake, she was startled and lashed out, nearly clawing the eyes out of the wood elf above her. He caught her hand, but instead of anger, he looked at her with kindness. The man asked if she was alright and offered her a warm place to sleep for the night. Starlingale nearly bolted at that, but he held up his hands and apologized.

The man introduced himself as Heidan, a traveling merchant, and he had seen her sneak into the stables.

Starlingale then remembered that she wasn't wearing her face covering... and Heidan wasn't trying to kill her.

 

The two elves became good friends, Starlingale becoming Heidan's apprentice in his trade of books, much to her excitement.

And, as it turned out, Heidan was a member of the Shadow Thieves' Guild, which also welcomed her with open arms. There were many Drow there who helped her create a real mask (a cracked doll with tape over its mouth) and taught her how to survive in a world there where many who thought that she was evil purely because of her race.

She studied with the guild whenever she and Heidan were around other members, and when Heidan took the office of Caretaker of their collection of rare books and artifacts in a far-off city, so did she.

 

Eventually, after so many years, she realized that there was nothing left to learn where she was.

She voiced this to the local guild, who honored her wishes. They gifted her with the supplies she would need for her expedition and her choice of any book in the vault. Heidan was honored to give her a cloak with the guild's logo, to remind her of the family she would have wherever she went.

 

Starlingale was nervous, but she knew that she couldn't be dragging on her family's coat-tails forever. It was time to blaze her own trail.

“Come on, Stawlingawe!” Sydd exclaimed in their childlike voice. “Adventuwe awaits us!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! The other three backgrounds will be up in the next few hours.


End file.
